Accelerated or emergency preparedness in the hospital setting is necessary, particularly in the event of an unscheduled transport or an evacuation. One important aspect of such preparedness is having appropriate evacuation equipment readily available especially if the staff has to evacuate non-ambulatory patients from the hospital.
Portable transportation units, such as evacuation sheet stretchers, can be important when it comes to evacuating patients, particularly non-ambulatory patients, from the hospital. Evacuation sheet stretchers facilitate a quick and safe evacuation or transport because they can increase patient safety and prevent a patient from injuring themselves or staff during transportation.
Because of the importance of evacuation sheet stretchers, they should be kept in close proximity to the patient for easy access. Storage, however, is limited in hospitals and the evacuation sheet stretcher cannot be kept in a location that is not easily accessible during time of emergency. For example, if the evacuation sheet stretcher is maintained in a storage closet or basement, staff members would have to go to the storage closet or basement, find the evacuation sheet, and retrieve it. This could be problematic because it would create a delay in providing the emergency equipment to the patient, and retrieving the equipment can be dangerous to the staff if the storage closet is near the source of danger, i.e. a fire.
Preferably, the evacuation sheet stretcher should not be placed under hospital mattresses because it could cause a shift in pressure, which can lead to patient bed sores. Additionally, on certain types of bed, the evacuation sheet could potentially cause an interference with electronic devices which can be connected to the hospital bed. Another problem with storing the evacuation sheet stretcher under the hospital bed or mattress is that the evacuation sheets would be unprotected, and thus, could potentially become soiled, and/or lost during bed repairs. Because the sheet stretcher may not be clearly visible under the hospital mattresses, it would be difficult to determine whether the sheet stretcher is cleaned, soiled, or even present.
There are several devices available for sheet stretchers. However, one limitation of these devices is they are not necessarily provided in a fixed or set location in the hospital room or in near proximity to the patient. Another limitation of these devices is that they do not account for patient's being moved or transported to other locations during an evacuation. For example, if a patient is being transported by gurney or other similar transportation device, the sheet stretcher may not be moved along with the patient (i.e., if the sheet stretcher is stored in a closet), and thus, is not readily available in case of an emergency during transport. Further, the devices presently used with the sheet stretchers do not account for whether the sheet stretcher has been compromised due to unauthorized handling or use, which would make the sheet stretcher unfit for use during an actual emergency.
Thus, there may be a need for a storage arrangement that is readily accessible, secure, visible, and sanitary while also not interfering or impeding the work-flow of hospital operations and staff, and which can overcome at least some of the deficiencies described herein above.